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:
Hello, I am transitioning to no poo, and I am using rhassoul clay mixed with warm water once a week instead of shampoo. It really helps my hair feel less oily but it allows me to wait longer every time between washes. I really recommend it (although I am not sure where to find it in the US).
Has anyone else tried it? It’s used mostly in North Africa from my understanding.
Hi! Love your website, it’s so interesting and great to get into all tbe zero waste stuff! I am doing no poo since two months, washing with rye flour. This wirks so great! I tried switching to wo several times now, but the problem is that I do not get clean hair from it. Like ever. Sure, its less oily than before the wash. But its always waxy and greasy still,no matter how well I scrub or if I use the apple vinegar rinse. I am sure that I don’t have silicone buildup, I used silicone free shampoo for several years. Do you have any idea why this might not be working for me? I tried all of your tips.. It would be so great if you can help! Greetings from Germany :)
Hi Lea, I’m glad you enjoy this site! I recommend checking whether you have hard or soft water in your area. You can usually look up water hardness for your city online. Hard water can make it difficult for you to get a super clean water only wash. I have personally lived in areas with hard and soft water, and I notice a difference when the water is hard. To solve this, I typically see people recommending getting a shower head attachment that will help take the minerals out of hard water and help soften it so you can get cleaner hair washes. I have never personally done this, but something that worked for me was using dry shampoo about an hour before water washing my hair just to get excess oils absorbed, and then water washing it all away. I went into more detail in this post. Hope one of these options helps you!
Hi,
First of all I wanted to say thank you for all the information. The blog has helped me to understand so many things about the no poo process I decided to go through.
I was wondering if you could give me advice.
I have been no poo for 2 months. I went cold turkey from washing almost every day to wo.
After 6 weeks I was still very waxy and the water didn’t seem to clean the oils at all. After reading the post about still greasy hair, I decided to get rid of the buildup with backing soda and rinse with apv . It worked wonderful, but after 4-5 days I needed to wash again. I tried washing with water again , the way you described in your post,and it just doesn’t seem to clean the oils. I even tried to put my head into a bucket full of hot water for 10 minutes or so, scratching my scalp with my fingers the whole time and it did not work.
I am brushing my hair in sections with a board bristle brush every day just the way you described in your posts, cleaning it after every use.
My hair is blond, straight long and fair but I have lots of it. It has always been oily on the second day without wash but I blamed it on the shampoo.
I don’t want to use bs on a regular basis, but I’m afraid this is the only thing that makes my hair less oily.
The water on my tap is moderate hardness.
I would really appreciate if you could give me any advice, as I am very frustrated and fighting with myself to carry on with the method. My hair feels soft and amazing on the ends, but closer to the scalp it is just very oily and noticeable.
Thank you for any kind of advice,
Anna.
Hi Anna, thank you for sharing your journey! Have you checked the hardness of your water? General info here. The minerals in hard water can make it difficult to get a clean water hair wash. Going 4-5 days without getting oily sounds like some good progress. It sounds like you are getting clean washes with baking soda, but I can’t recommend using baking soda as the pH is very alkaline compared to the human scalp pH, and I have read that it can damage hair over time. But maybe another no poo method would work for you while you transition, like conditioner only. You can also try using a natural and gentle dry shampoo powder to soak up excess oils right before a water hair wash.
Just wanted to say THANK YOU so much for your posts about this matter. I reached a point this summer where even low-poo Nature’s Gate shampoos were causing my scalp and hair to get so dry and itchy that I HAD to make a change. Tried some shampoo bars for a while, but they left my hair waxy and limp, and the ACV rinse was making my hair dry and brittle. I love my long hair and want to keep growing it out, so I had to try something different. I am in the oily phase now, but braids and hats are helping to mask that a bit. After reading your trouble-shooting post about transitioning to WO I am going to do one last thorough sulfate shampoo to start fresh and keep going. I will attest that the BBB makes a HUGE difference. Before I started using one, my ends were super dry and brittle, like straw. A trim would’ve helped, but since I’ve been using my BBB daily then ends have become much more soft, and I can probably wait for a while more before another trim. GRATEFUL for your sharing and thorough information. Thank you <3
Hi, I’m not giving up! I’ve tried WO again and this time is a lot better. My hair feels clean after wash, it squeaks, feels light when it’s drying and it dries quickly and next day it looks clean like after shampoo but next evening when I brush it there is this sort of tarnish, this light layer on top of my BBBrush. Later when days go by and I brush my hair I don’t have it anymore. Just this first and second day sometimes too. Also My hair doesn’t stink but I can smell odour. It’s probably on my scalp. Will this pass? Or shall I do something? I was my hair now every 5 days. First 2 days they look cleanand feel clean.
Hi Joanna, When you wash your hair with water, your hair and scalp should smell fresh and odorless. Between washes, you can keep your hair smelling nice with my tips here.