I use Vet’s Best waterless shampoo when I don’t have time to wash my hair. Yes…it’s for cats. It’s a lightly fragrant foaming waterless shampoo. Gives my hair a bit of body…which it needs. And it’s cheap.
This has been a never ending debate for me! I didn’t use conditioner for about 5 years, and recently started using it again in an effort to protect my hair. (It get tangled, and no matter how carefully I brush, I’m always ripping through knots.) Now I use a tiny bit, less than a dime, from the nape of my neck down to keep the tangles at bay. I can definitely stop using it again though if it’s not actually helping my hair!
Try Batiste Dark and Lovely. It’s available at the drugstore. Practice using it, as it can get on clothes, but it works great and smells amazing.
I wash my hair sometimes 2x a day. I probably am washing it too much, which is one reason I tried (and failed) no-shampoo.
I have found if I use a very mild shampoo, it’s not that bad – I’ve gone from baby shampoo to super moisturizing shampoo (brands that have worked for me: Millcreek Botanics, Earth Science, Desert Essence, Andalou. Found at health food stores for more than what I want to spend, but it beats oiliness and itching (I’ve tried dandruff shampoos and they made it so much worse, so I treat it like my scalp is dry and it’s better).) Sometimes they’re available at a TJ Maxx for half price and I stock up.
I’ve heard of people washing with just water or just conditioner (no shampoo, since apparently conditioner contains some detergent in it anyway). Maybe you could try that for your morning hair washing? Since you’d still be clean and probably have not produced too much oil over night. Or what would happen if you applied dry shampoo (for dark hair) prior to riding? Instead of washing twice. Would that make any difference in absorption?
I don’t think I could wash with just shampoo, because it would make my hair too coarse-feeling and too many tangles. And given the previous post about pH-balance, I think this would throw it off.
One size doesn’t fit all, regardless of what the “pros” say.
You could try a leave-in spray conditioner/detangler for daily use and just use normal conditioner once a week or so if you think that’s what’s making your hair so oily.
I too have fine, slightly oily at the roots after a day type hair, though mine is quite dense. I wash my hair every single night like 95% of the time. Occasionally, maybe once a month, I’ll forego washing my hair - IF AND ONLY IF I haven’t ridden or done farm work and gotten sweaty that day. It’s one thing to not wash your hair when you’re just in and out of an office and hanging out like a non-horse-person. It’s another when it’s been soaked in sweat and smells like horse. Yuck. I can’t, I won’t, no amount of “you shouldn’t wash your hair every day!” will stop me. I also use conditioner every day, because the tangles otherwise - um no thanks. Even though I don’t have coarse hair, if I don’t conditioner every day, I notice a significant difference in dryness.
My twin sister has fine, oily hair, and it’s thin, so she really can’t grow it past her shoulders lest it look raggedy. She uses conditioner like twice a week last I heard, and will do just a water rinse (no shampoo) if she didn’t have football or anything that got her sweaty. She also LIVES for dry shampoo. I’m personally not a huge fan, I’d rather just throw my hair up in a braid if it’s greasy enough to warrant dry shampoo. But I’ve used a couple before. A local hair salon I used to work at had my favorite, but they discontinued it. The Kenra line is pretty decent.
https://www.ulta.com/volume-dry-sham…xoCBLMQAvD_BwE
The problem with dry shampoo is that it often can clog your hair follicles, making them freak out more (so to speak)
I’ve got hair a lot like yours and I don’t use shampoo anymore. Haven’t for years now. I “wash” it twice a week with a baking soda paste (focusing my efforts on my scalp, with a little on the ends), followed by a little bit of pure (it’s important it’s 100% pure!) argan oil on the hair below my ears once I rinse, which I then rinse out after letting sit a bit. And then I follow up with a vinegar rinse (2 tbsp white vinegar diluted with enough water to make a cup). I only wrap my hair to dry it, and I rarely ever use heat. I might blow dry it once a month. I’ll just comb it (only using wide-toothed seamless combs) and let it air dry. And after it’s dry if it needs a bit of help I’ll brush it with a boar bristle brush, and only BBBs.
Once a week, maybe twice a week if it’s hot out and I get gross I’ll SMP and then do a water-only rinse under water as hot as I can stand it.
It’s a lot of work, but my hair has never been better.
I have fine, thick hair and tried all kinds of stuff to get away from washing everyday. Finally, I talked to my hair dresser, completely exasperated. And do you know what she told me?
No shampoo-ing and dry shampoo isn’t for every hair type. She said my hair would likely never adapt and it wasn’t worth trying so now, when I don’t want to shampoo, french braids with a bit of dry shampoo (for any barn odors) are my go to. And everyone always loves how cute my hair is and how much effort I put into fixing it.
1 Like
I kinda wonder if you try different shampoos, if you then would be able to do more than a day without washing?
What shampoo were you using when you lived in CR?
I never would believe that shampoo makes THAT much of a difference, but the very first time I used the Redken (which should be a good shampoo because it’s expensive salon shampoo, for Pete’s sake) my hair was instantly oily-looking right after I blow dried it.
Of course, it’s expensive to try shampoos because you don’t know what works and then you might have a full bottle to toss … which is what I did with the Redken!
Do you have a current hair stylist you go to? My stylist is usually the first person I will ask for suggestions.
I have super oily hair as well. Lots of fine strands (so thick, but not individually coarse and thick). I can NOT go without shampooing without A) using dry shampoo or B) braiding and telling myself “slicked back braids are in”. I have tried a multitude of dry shampoos and hate most of them. Many will leave your hair feeling like there is crap in it or you can tell there are fine white bits in it that give it kind of a cast. I have had dark hair and I have had blonde hair and that cast can happen with all shades.
My “go to” is Amika, but it is expensive and doesn’t last long enough for me to want to constantly buy it so that is a treat to myself. I usually use Not Your Mothers Naturals Linseed Chia Blend & French Plum Seed (it is in a completely purple can) because it is cost effective and each bottle lasts a while with 3-4x a week uses and I really love it. I use it even on washed hair to give me oomph in my roots - I can only get away with 1 maybe 2 days of unwashed and the 2nd day is always an up do, no way can I get away with 2 days of hair down unwashed. The white/green NYM can of dry shampoo can feels grody with hair down and I only use it in a pinch when I’m still going to put my hair back in an up do of some type. I prefer dry shampoos that say “volumizing” to add texture to hair as sometimes if it is slicky/oily/not washed it is limp and the non volumizing types just don’t look right.
And, honestly, I love scrunch sprays. My hair is a sort of wavy ish texture if I let it air dry. After the morning gym when my hair gets sweaty I will just use the sink and wet my hands and run it over my hair and through my hair to get it even more damp (it doesn’t need to be sopping) and spray in the salt spray and scrunch. I usually clip it up with three sections (2 sides and the back) using jaw/calw clips while I do the rest of my getting ready so it starts to air dry in the scrunch shape. I use salt spray (KMS Hairplay is my absolutely holy grail or AIR DRY IT Wave Swept Spray is a close second). When I’m ready to head out the door I unclip do a final quick scrunch and then drive to work and on my drive it will air dry even more. I get SO many compliments from coworkers with this look and it is my favorite “I’m lazy I ain’t taking the time to dry it” look. Whether this will work well for you will definitely depend on the type of hair you have. If it is 100% bone straight with absolutely no texture then this may not be helpful.
As for shampoo, I find that anything that is smoothing is NOT good for oil prone hair. I find it makes my hair produce oil even more. I like Matrix Total Results High Amplify. I’ve tried a ton of shampoos and this is the one that I find works best for me and my oily hair to keep it from oil producing and to keep it from getting flat. I also never use shine serums or oils or any of that because it will make my hair feel oily, so if you use extra products be cognizant of what you are adding into your hair.
I have found one solution for oily hair and skin. Getting old 
Other than that the shampoo absolutely makes a huge difference because the more the shampoo does the more it builds up. So having two different shampoos and switching every week or so helps stop buildup. Body building shampoo tends to weigh down fine hair.
And yes. Expensive salon type shampoo can make a huge difference.
Very mild conditioner on the ends as needed.
I’ve watched friends try the no shampoo thing. Fail, IMHO. Their hair always looks gross.
Honestly I ve never found any substitute for a daily morning shower and shampoo and blow dry for a civilized level of grooming. Tiresome but there it is.
One of the tricks to using dry shampoo is to have a good boar bristle paddle brush on hand. If you use too much shampoo and you get whiteness just brush brush brush with the boar bristles and it will brush out the excess whiteness. My favorite is Batiste. NO residue. Just freshly shampooed feeling once you brush it out.
Batiste is awful for me, but I have a red head friend who swears by it. My hair feels stiff and grungy with it… but it doesn’t leave a white film so I’ll give it that!
I have the same type of hair the amika dry shampoo does pretty good but on my blonde it looks ashy so it may show up on dark hair but batiste makes dry shampoo for dark hair ( just try to avoid putting your hands in it) and I love it plus its cheaper than the amika [h=2][/h]
An alternative to dry shampoo is a bit of baby powder. My mom used to use this on my hair when I was sick as a youngster to absorb some of the oil, and I still do it every so often. It takes a bit of practice to know how much to add, but you can wipe off any excess with a towel and brush in the rest. It smells nice, too, IMO.
Two things I’ve learned about dry shampoo…it works better if you apply before oilyness appears, so if you wash at night, apply in the morning before heading to the barn. Second is to slice your hair as if you were coloring, spritz the dry shampoo, then lightly rub with a towel to remove excess and residue, brush when done.
For tangles and skipping conditioner, I use argan oil on towel dried hair, then blowdry to help push the oil into the hair. It’s lightweight and leaves my hair very soft but not oily.
